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The Date: An unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist Kindle Edition
‘I know it as soon as I wake up and open my eyes... Something is wrong.’
Her Saturday night started normally. Recently separated from her husband, Ali has been persuaded by her friends to go on a date with a new man. She is ready, she is nervous, she is excited. She is about to take a step into her new future. By Sunday morning, Ali’s life is unrecognisable. She wakes, and she knows that something is wrong. She is home, she is alone, she is hurt and she has no memory of what happened to her.
Worse still, when she looks in the mirror, Ali doesn’t recognise the face staring back at her…
From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Sister, The Gift and The Surrogate, The Date is a gripping page-turner that will keep you awake until the early hours. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and Before I Go To Sleep.
What readers are saying about The Date:
‘Holy cow, what a read! I literally dropped everything I was supposed to be doing after reading the first few pages and couldn't put it down until I reached the very end… one of the best psychological thrillers I've read this year and without doubt a new all-time favourite!’ It’s All About Books, 5 stars
‘I literally didn’t put it down once from start to finish!… It sent chills down my spine… The last page of this book gave me goosebumps and I felt glad I wasn’t home alone!... gripping, unnerving and an unputdownable read!’ Rather Too Fond of Books, 5 stars
‘Wow, I would give this a 10 out of 5 stars if I could!... An absolutely fantastic, heart-pumping, twisted, thrill-seeking read that I could not put down… a heart-breaking emotional rollercoaster… The Date completely knocked my socks off.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘OMG WOW… you won’t be able to turn those pages fast enough… the final twist will absolutely knock you out… this rare and exceptional book will be put forward for Literature Love’s top 10 books of the year.’ Literature Love, 5 stars
‘Ohhhhhhhh my goodness!!! Louise Jensen has blown my mind AGAIN!... will literally have your jaw dropping… I was nervous to even turn the page (that’s my favourite part of a well written thriller)!!!’ Steph and Chris’s Book Review, 5 stars
‘Every now and then a book comes along that completely blows my mind!! And this is one of them!! To say I loved it is an understatement!! This book was absolutely freaking BRILLIANT!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Mind blowing, edge-of-your seat fantastic!... Kept me guessing straight from the off just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘What a page-turner of a book this is. Just when I thought I had worked it out… bam… another brilliant twist, again and again. This is definitely an edge-of-your-seat story that you won't be able to put down.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Every chapter had me on the edge-of-my-seat and just when I thought I had it figured out Louise threw another twist in the mix!... suspenseful, thrilling, fast-paced and emotional.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow! What an incredible book… like a rollercoaster ride – building up, building up. You don't know what to expect and then BAM, you need to hang on. It's really that good!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Will have your heart-pounding and flipping the pages. And I was finally stumped, thank you Louise Jensen for putting my inner detective in her place!!!’ The Book Collective, 5 stars
‘The most incredible suspense!... I was flipping pages on my Kindle faster than I could read and I was seriously concerned my Kindle won't take the pressure.’ Shuffle Book Box, 5 stars
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 21, 2018
- File size2.0 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Holy cow, what a read!...One of the best psychological thrillers I've read this year and without doubt a new all-time favorite!"―It's All About Books
"The final twist will absolutely knock you out... this rare and exceptional book will be put forward for Literature Love's top 10 books of the year."―Literature Love
"Louise Jensen has blown my mind AGAIN!... will literally have your jaw dropping..."―Steph and Chris's Book Review
"Will have your heart-pounding and flipping the pages. And I was finally stumped, thank you Louise Jensen for putting my inner detective in her place!"―The Book Collective
"The most incredible suspense!... I was flipping pages on my Kindle faster than I could read and I was seriously concerned my Kindle won't take the pressure."―Shuffle Book Box
PRAISE FOR LOUISE JENSEN'S THE SURROGATE
"This novel was paced perfectly and I actually finished it in one day because I couldn't put it down... so addictive! The Surrogate is a 5-star novel that is a 2017 must read! I am already looking forward to reading what Louise Jensen comes out with next!"―Steph and Chris Book Reviews
"This book had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, with the heart thumping feeling to go with it! If you like psychological thrillers, then definitely read this one.... you will not regret it! Five Stars!"―Stardust Book Reviews
"Ever since I read Louise Jensen's debut The Sister I've been a huge fan of her writing, but OMG The Surrogate, her latest and most adventurous book yet, plants her firmly on my list of "must-read" authors... I really think this is the author's best book yet and it is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I've read this year."―The Book Review Cafe
"Wow! What an amazing debut novel! Full of intense twists! Fantastic book to start off summer reading! Highly recommend."―Loud and Proud Book Junkie
"I genuinely struggled to put this book down... I can't recommend this book enough, it's made it to my favourites... I can't wait for more books to come from Louise Jensen... A well-deserved five stars from me."―Emporio Epidemic
PRAISE FOR LOUISE JENSEN'S THE SISTER
"Dark, twisty, and irresistible-I simply could not put this book down. Captivating characters and an intense emotional ride make for an absolutely gripping page-turner!"―Sara Blaedel, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Forgotten Girls
"Just as I thought the story was wrapping up BANG! I was hit again with another twist. Brilliant! It is chilling and sinister and yet heart-breaking and tragic, and I felt really emotional on finishing it... I can't wait to read more by Louise."―Bloomin Brilliant Books
"This thriller's compelling characters and explosive climax combine for great vacation reading, especially for fans of Lisa Scottoline's After Anna."―Booklist
About the Author
Louise lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat. She loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at LouiseJensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.
Product details
- ASIN : B07BN8L5KB
- Publisher : Bookouture
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : June 21, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 2.0 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 308 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-1786814845
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #173,327 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,509 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- #1,674 in Psychological Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #3,554 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Louise Jensen has sold over 1.5 million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers 'The Sister', 'The Gift', 'The Surrogate', 'The Date', 'The Family', 'The Stolen Sisters', 'All For You', 'The Fall', ‘The Intruders’ and ‘The Liar’. Her novels have also been translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s List.
Louise has been nominated for multiple awards including Goodreads Debut Author Of The Year, The Guardians 'Not The Booker Prize', best polish thriller of 2018 and she has also been listed for two CWA Dagger awards. All of Louise's thrillers are currently under option for TV & film. She has also written short stories for various publications including 'My Weekly', 'Hello', 'Best' and 'The Sun', as well as having stories featured in multiple anthologies.
Louise also has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking and uplifting stories under the pen name Amelia Henley. 'The Life We Almost Had' and 'The Art of Loving You' were international best sellers. 'From Now On' is her latest Amelia Henley release.
Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this psychological thriller suspenseful with many twists and turns, particularly appreciating the unexpected ending. The book is described as a gripping page-turner that's very hard to put down, with one customer noting how the writing creates great interest and connection. Customers disagree on the pacing, with some finding it fast-paced while others say it's slow at the beginning. The writing style and character development also receive mixed reviews, with some praising the writing while others find it too wordy, and some appreciating the characters while others criticize the protagonist's passivity.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book suspenseful with many twists and turns, describing it as a good psychological thriller with an unexpected ending.
"Wow, what a rollercoaster this book is! It kept me guessing until the very end — so many twists I didn’t see coming...." Read more
"...All secrets and motives are revealed, which provides a resolve for the story; but there is as much pain in the end as there is in the beginning...." Read more
"...A great story , imaginative, sad, and horrifying to a large degree. If you love a good mystery you won't be disappointed here." Read more
"Oh my goodness!! Awesome story. Kept me on my toes the entire time. I literally read this book in two days...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and fun to read, with one customer noting it's suitable for reading with the lights on.
"Louise Jensen’s The Date is an absolute must-read book this year!!! I saw this book described as living in a nightmare, and I couldn’t say it better...." Read more
"...Some of the events were a bit too coincidental, but still very entertaining...." Read more
"...I liked the idea of the book, hence the purchase, but once I learned of Ali’s irreversible condition, I started to lose interest...." Read more
"Good book kept me guessing through to the end. I would definitely read this authors other books in the future" Read more
Customers find the book very hard to put down, though some mention it's easy to figure out early on.
"...is good, the characters are fine and interesting and some easy to get attached to...." Read more
"This book is hard to put down. I’m pretty good at figuring out the culprit but didn’t see this one coming." Read more
"This was hard to put down. The way it ended really threw me. I would highly recommend you read this thriller." Read more
"This was a really good story and it was difficult to put it down. I loved the twists!..." Read more
Customers find the book engaging, describing it as a page turner that keeps them reading.
"...I pre-ordered it, then read it within two days. It’s definitely a page-turner...." Read more
"This was really a page turning book. I was pulled in at the beginning and never bored...." Read more
"Intriguing storyline, making it a real page turner. Sad ending because there couldn’t be any real winners in this story!" Read more
"SCARY from page one!! Characters awesome! A GREAT page TURNER. The ending will blow you away. A HAVE TO w TURNER" Read more
Customers find the book gripping, with one mentioning how it immediately pulls readers in from the beginning.
"...A chilling, gripping, anxiety-inducing page-turner that has a shocking twist!! About the Book..." Read more
"This book is gripping from the first line till the end. Ali finds that her life is turned upside down after one night out on the town...." Read more
"...I couldn’t put it down.she had me engaged at the very beginning and held my interest all the way through...." Read more
"...This book was one of the absolute BEST I have read in a long time. Gripping, nail biting, stay-up-all-night read!..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it very well written while others complain about being too wordy and having terrible grammar.
"...With that, it is well written and I didn’t feel as though I had wasted my time...." Read more
"...Also, it is not written in American English, so I found myself "correcting" spelling and grammatical issues, which almost curtailed my..." Read more
"Louise Jensen has a fluent style of writing, and her main character, Ali, comes alive...." Read more
"I knew almost immediately that I wouldn't like it. This is a well-written book and a well-written story but for me, I found it deeply emotionally..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it an extremely riveting and great fast-paced read with twists, while others mention it starts slow and is hard to put down.
"...I was locked in from the first page. A great story , imaginative, sad, and horrifying to a large degree...." Read more
"...It was extremely interesting and engaging. A good quick read. Will read another book by this author for sure." Read more
"...of nightmares, but the whingeing goes on and on and the story progresses very slowly...." Read more
"...The premise sounded good, but it seemed to spin its wheels over and over, and then at the end, it went in a lot of different directions....twists...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some praising the great characters while others find the main character ignorant and passive.
"...The characters were very real and I could feel their anxiety and other emotions so clearly...." Read more
"Great plot twist, but the main character Ali was a neurotic mess. I found myself wanting to shake her silly...." Read more
"...I think the book needs a good editing. The premise is good, the characters are fine and interesting and some easy to get attached to...." Read more
"...Ali was an interesting character who develops prosopagnosia after being hit on the head...." Read more
Reviews with images

A girl can't remember what happened to her one night.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018Louise Jensen’s The Date is an absolute must-read book this year!!! I saw this book described as living in a nightmare, and I couldn’t say it better. This book got into my head! I found myself walking down the street and imagining what it would be like to have no idea whether the strangers passing me were people I know. Whether one of those people may hate me and wish me harm, but I wasn’t able to read that emotion on their face. A chilling, gripping, anxiety-inducing page-turner that has a shocking twist!!
About the Book
Ali is having a normal Saturday night for a single girl. She gets ready for the evening with her roommate, trying on outfits before deciding on her green dress. She does her hair and her make up. They head to the bar to meet her blind date. Ali is ready to start living a bit since the end of her marriage, and this is her first big step towards taking back her life.
But then Ali wakes up on Sunday morning with blood on her hands and no memory of the night before. What happened to her after she arrived at the bar? Was she drugged? Why is her head throbbing? And then she goes in the bathroom to wash up, only to discover the nightmare she is now living in… Ali can’t recognize her own face.
As Ali seeks answers, the nightmare only gets worse. Ali isn’t just having trouble recognizing herself, she can’t recognize any faces. And worse, someone seems to know what happened that night and they aren’t letting Ali forget it. What do you do when you’re being stalked by someone you can’t recognize?? Will Ali’s past finally catch up to her?
Reflection
This is quite possible the most unique premise for a thriller that I’ve read in 2018. Prosopagnosia is a condition where damage to the brain impacts the ability to recognize faces. I actually can’t even imagine how scary this would be to live with! Jensen uses this very real condition to create a twisted web of terror encompassing Ali. At any moment, Ali has no clue whether she knows her stalker, whether she would recognize them without this condition, or even whether her stalker is a male or female. Imagine if every face you saw could be the person who is trying to destroy your life, but you’d have no idea! There were a few scenes in this that literally gave me goosebumps imagining how scared Ali must be!
I loved the way Jensen went not only into the terror Ali felt at her situation, but also into the other life implications of living with prosopagnosia. At one point, Ali mentions that her doctor told her that developing social anxiety is incredibly common with prosopagnosia, because the individual worries that they aren’t recognizing someone they should and that they may not read emotions from people correctly and could respond inappropriately. This was such a great addition to the novel. It made me think outside of this thriller about what it would be like to live with prosopagnosia day in and out.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024Good book kept me guessing through to the end. I would definitely read this authors other books in the future
- Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018It took me a while to get into this one; but once I buy a book and it’s in my kindle queue, I feel an obligation to finish it. I liked the idea of the book, hence the purchase, but once I learned of Ali’s irreversible condition, I started to lose interest. The reason is that I don’t like stories where the main character is completely at a disadvantage to the point where it seems like they’re a sitting duck. Temporary amnesia is one thing, but Ali’s condition brought a loneliness and hopelessness that made it hard to see how she’d ever get to the bottom of what was going on.
However, once I got to around 35% of the book, interest began to build. I had some ideas as to what the end game would be, but not enough details to figure out why. Up until 70% of the book, I had a few different suspects. But then, I figured out who did it, just not the reason. The chapters leading up to the reveal are intense because you know Ali is on the cusp of answers.
Be advised that this is not going to be a book that leaves you with a pleasant taste in your mouth. All secrets and motives are revealed, which provides a resolve for the story; but there is as much pain in the end as there is in the beginning. This is a story where something awful happens in the present that is tied to something awful in the past, and the reader goes along for the ride to find out why. With that, it is well written and I didn’t feel as though I had wasted my time. I personally just like my books with more hope, even if there’s not a happy ending per se.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018Her Saturday night started normally. Recently separated from her husband, Ali has been persuaded by her friends to go on a date with a new man. She is ready, she is nervous, she is excited. She is about to take a step into her new future. By Sunday morning, Ali’s life is unrecognizable. She wakes, and she knows that something is wrong. She is home, she is alone, she is hurt and she has no memory of what happened to her.
Worse still, when she looks in the mirror, Ali doesn’t recognize the face staring back at her…
My Thoughts: I was immediately drawn in by The Date: An unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist, from Ali’s Sunday morning that began with no memory of the night before, and moved on to her inability to recognize herself in the mirror, her body covered by bruises, and the blood showing up on assorted items. At the hospital, her diagnosis of facial blindness would add another layer of stress to what has already turned into a horrifying series of events. It isn’t long before Ali begins receiving threatening and taunting notes, with strange items, all suggesting that she has done something terrible. Her rock throughout is her younger brother Ben, as the two of them had survived a childhood trauma together.
I couldn’t imagine how it could get even worse, but as the story sweeps between the past and the present, we slowly come to realize that current events are just the tip of the iceberg. Ali’s childhood trauma and what led to her changing her name hint at why someone is able to terrorize her with threats that she has done something horrible.
Paranoia and guilt follow her everywhere, which accompany her sense of vulnerability about not recognizing faces. Imagine being terrified that someone is following you, reminding you of the past, but when you can’t identify the enemy, everyone becomes untrustworthy. Even your roommate, who is now missing. A video that shows you pushing the roommate might mean you did something to her. Ali’s fears ratchet up with each new strange set of circumstances.
At first, I thought the date with the online person named “Ewan” was behind everything, but eventually more possibilities surface. Red herrings kept me rapidly turning pages, trying to figure out who is behind everything that is happening to Ali, and what, if anything, she has done that will lead to an arrest…or worse. I was stunned by the final reveal, as just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was blindsided. 5 stars.
Top reviews from other countries
- Mr. F. ParkerReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful and compelling
Waking up and finding yourself in hospital having suffered a serious injury is a not uncommon trope in literature. Nor is the subsequent realisation that you can not remember how you sustained those injuries. And both are sensations that most of us can relate to, if not from personal experience, from an understanding of the effect on short term memory of a blow to the head. Less well known is a form of brain damage that makes it impossible to recognise faces. Friends, family members, medical staff are indistinguishable from each other except by their clothing and their voices.
As you recover some of your memory, and friends tell you that you were on a blind date but that they have no idea what happened after you left the venue, you start to receive messages insinuating that you did something terrible.
That is how 'The Date' begins and the tension never lets up. This is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a mystery or a psychological thriller. It is also a story about revenge and redemption.
The story is told in first person, by Ali, the victim, and as it progresses she begins to tie some of the cryptic messages she receives to a traumatic event from her past. But how is that relevant to what happened on the date? How could someone she met on a blind date know so much about her past?
The plot is complex but makes sense as the central mystery unfolds. A truly masterful piece of writing. I enjoyed every twist and turn. I found the characters, and their development, completely plausible, and the relationships between Ali, her ex-husband, her brother and her best friend compelling. I have no hesitation in recommending this book and awarding it five stars.
- Ipsita BanerjeeReviewed in India on August 15, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly gripping
I found myself going deeper and deeper into Ali's world with each page i turned. This is a book that I would recommend for lovers of this genre.
- GioReviewed in Italy on September 22, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Another must of Louise Jensen
I choose this rating because the book was even better than my expectations I would read all of her books as they're all so mysterious and make you want to know more. I recommend to read this book because it takes you into it just the way it supposed to.
-
ellieReviewed in Germany on December 6, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Spannendes Buch!
Das Buch hält, was es verspricht: Spannung. Liest sich sehe gut und lässt sich nir schwer zur Seite legen.
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Australia on August 13, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars A great thriller
This is a great psychological thriller. The plot twists and turns till the very end. You will never know how it ends until you read it. Great read you won't want to put it down. Highly recommended